Dictionary

hermit en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈhɜːmɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhɝmɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English hermite, heremite, eremite, from Old French eremite, from Ecclesiastical Latin, Late Latin eremita, from Ancient Greek ἐρημίτης (erēmítēs, “person of the desert”) from ἐρημία (erēmía, “desert, solitude”), from ἔρημος (érēmos) or ἐρῆμος (erêmos, “uninhabited”) plus -ίτης (-ítēs, “one connected to, a member of”). Doublet of eremite. Displaced native Old English ānsetla.

Meanings

1. A religious recluse; someone who lives alone for religious reasons; an eremite.
2. A recluse; someone who lives alone and shuns human companionship.
   • Millie told him he sounded like some batty hermit who lived in a cave. 2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 184:
   • Solitary the thrush, / The hermit withdrawn to himself, avoiding the settlements, / Sings by himself a song. 1865, Walt Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, in Sequel to Drum-Taps: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d and other poems:
3. A spiced cookie made with molasses, raisins, and nuts.
4. A hermit crab.
   • Because hermits are decapods and do not live within their own shells, they are not considered to be true crabs. 2016, Vicki Judah, Kathy Nuttall, Exotic Animal Care and Management, page 279:
5. Any in the subfamily Phaethornithinae of hummingbirds.

Forms

Deriveds

hermitic · hermitess · hermitism · hermitness · hermitty · house hermit · hermit-crow · hermitship · hermitization · hermitize · hermitically · hermit kingdom · hermie · hermitlike · hermitage · hermitry · hermit crab · hermitical · thinstripe hermit · ornamental hermit · garden hermit · hermit warbler · bald-headed hermit · hermitude · hermit thrush · hermitary · hermithood · hermit-bird · hermitish

Relateds

monachos · monk

Synonyms

shut-in · recluse · eremite · anchorite · monk · aloner · anchorite · Miller of Dee · hermit · sullen · solitary · eremite · anchoret

Translations (130)

gl anacoreta (religious recluse; eremite) · pl pustelnik (religious recluse; eremite) · fr ermite (religious recluse; eremite) · cs poustevník (recluse; someone who lives alone) · pl eremita (religious recluse; eremite) · th นักบวช (religious recluse; eremite) · gd aonaran (religious recluse; eremite) · pt ermitão (religious recluse; eremite) · pt eremita (recluse; someone who lives alone) · pl pustelnica (recluse; someone who lives alone) · sk anachorét (religious recluse; eremite) · ca eremita (recluse; someone who lives alone) · de Eremit (religious recluse; eremite) · pl pustelniczka (religious recluse; eremite) · ko 은자 (recluse; someone who lives alone) · gl ermitá (religious recluse; eremite) · mi moke (recluse; someone who lives alone) · uk само́тник (recluse; someone who lives alone) · af kluisenaar (recluse; someone who lives alone) · tr keşiş (religious recluse; eremite) · sk eremita (religious recluse; eremite) · ang ānsetla (religious recluse; eremite) · fi erakko (religious recluse; eremite) · pt ermitão (recluse; someone who lives alone) · af kluisenaar (religious recluse; eremite) · be самотнік (religious recluse; eremite) · id resi (religious recluse; eremite) · et erak (religious recluse; eremite) · pl pustelnik (recluse; someone who lives alone) · ga ancaire (religious recluse; eremite) · uk самі́тник (recluse; someone who lives alone) · km វិវេកជន (recluse; someone who lives alone) · nl kluizenaar (recluse; someone who lives alone) · nv tsintah dahiitį́hii (bird) · la inclūsus (recluse; someone who lives alone) · de Einsiedler (religious recluse; eremite) · ru отше́льник (recluse; someone who lives alone) · sk anachoréta (religious recluse; eremite) · hu remete (religious recluse; eremite) · et üksiklane (recluse; someone who lives alone) · sh pustinjak (recluse; someone who lives alone) · el ερημίτης (religious recluse; eremite) · fr ermitane (religious recluse; eremite) · grc μονότροπος (recluse; someone who lives alone) · cmn 隐士 (religious recluse; eremite) · eo ermito (religious recluse; eremite) · vi ẩn sĩ (religious recluse; eremite) · es eremita (recluse; someone who lives alone) · es ermitaño (religious recluse; eremite) · be пустэ́льнік (religious recluse; eremite) · et üksiklane (religious recluse; eremite) · uk пусте́льник (religious recluse; eremite) · ca ermità (religious recluse; eremite) · pt eremita (religious recluse; eremite) · ja 隠者 (recluse; someone who lives alone) · pl samotnica (recluse; someone who lives alone) · vi nhà ẩn dật (recluse; someone who lives alone) · sk pustovník (recluse; someone who lives alone) · mk пу́стиник (religious recluse; eremite) · pl anachoreta (religious recluse; eremite) · pl samotnik (recluse; someone who lives alone) · gl ermitán (religious recluse; eremite) · izh erikko (recluse; someone who lives alone) · la inclūsus (religious recluse; eremite) · pl pustelnica (religious recluse; eremite) · fa راهب (religious recluse; eremite) · is einsetumaður (religious recluse; eremite) · hy անապատական (religious recluse; eremite) · vi ẩn sĩ (recluse; someone who lives alone) · no eremitt (religious recluse; eremite) · ang ānsetla (recluse; someone who lives alone) · mi eremita (religious recluse; eremite) · sk pustovník (religious recluse; eremite) · it anacoreta (religious recluse; eremite) · ga ancaire (recluse; someone who lives alone) · sv eremit (religious recluse; eremite) · vi nhà ẩn dật (religious recluse; eremite) · scn rimitu (religious recluse; eremite) · grc ἐρημίτης (religious recluse; eremite) · bg отшелник (religious recluse; eremite) · be адзінотніца (recluse; someone who lives alone) · hy ճգնավոր (religious recluse; eremite) · ru отше́льник (religious recluse; eremite) · ar رَاهِب (religious recluse; eremite) · fi erakkokolibri (bird) · mk отшелник (recluse; someone who lives alone) · mk о́тшелник (religious recluse; eremite) · be адзіно́тнік (recluse; someone who lives alone) · be само́тнік (recluse; someone who lives alone) · cs poustevník (religious recluse; eremite) · hu remete (recluse; someone who lives alone) · pl pustelniczka (recluse; someone who lives alone) · cmn 隱士 /隐士 (recluse; someone who lives alone) · jv pandhita (religious recluse; eremite) · es ermitaño (bird) · de Einsiedler (recluse; someone who lives alone) · es ermitaño (recluse; someone who lives alone) · grc ἐρημίτης (recluse; someone who lives alone) · be самотніца (recluse; someone who lives alone) · it eremita (religious recluse; eremite) · km តាបស (religious recluse; eremite) · ru затво́рник (recluse; someone who lives alone) · fa گوشهگیر (recluse; someone who lives alone) · is einsetumaður (recluse; someone who lives alone) · gl eremita (religious recluse; eremite) · el ερημίτης (recluse; someone who lives alone) · es botarga (recluse; someone who lives alone) · scn rimitu (recluse; someone who lives alone) · et eremiit (religious recluse; eremite) · pl samotniczka (recluse; someone who lives alone) · ja 仙人 (recluse; someone who lives alone) · gd aonaran (recluse; someone who lives alone) · km ឥសិ (religious recluse; eremite) · hy անապատական (recluse; someone who lives alone) · nl kluizenaar (religious recluse; eremite) · et erak (recluse; someone who lives alone) · it eremita (recluse; someone who lives alone) · ru затво́рник (religious recluse; eremite) · sv enstöring (recluse; someone who lives alone) · ja 仙人 (religious recluse; eremite) · eo dezertulo (recluse; someone who lives alone) · fr ermite (recluse; someone who lives alone) · pl odludek (recluse; someone who lives alone) · is einsetumunkur (religious recluse; eremite) · ca colibrí ermità (bird) · he נזיר (religious recluse; eremite) · bg отше́лник (recluse; someone who lives alone) · de Klausner (religious recluse; eremite) · hy ճգնավոր (recluse; someone who lives alone) · fi erakko (recluse; someone who lives alone)